Perfectly crisp vegan fried ravioli in the air fryer

An appetizer the whole family will love. Fried ravioli in the air fryer – seasoned with basil, oregano, nutritional yeast, and garlic. On the side, marinara sauce for dipping.

Finger foods bring people together. Whether everyone is snacking on a nacho plate with cashew queso or scooping into vegan spinach artichoke dip, there’s something about the experience that is communal. Today I’m bringing another appetizer classic to the game – fried ravioli.

Fried ravioli is also known as toasted ravioli or breaded ravioli. Basically, it’s ravioli that’s coated in bread crumbs and fried until crisp and dippable.

Ravioli is already a hero in the pasta world. Who wouldn’t adore a pocket of dough stuffed with goodness like mushrooms, butternut squash, spinach, or non-dairy cheese? But when you coat it with spiced bread crumbs and fry it, it takes the whole taste & texture experience up a notch.

Vegan fried ravioli

Today’s fried ravioli recipe is a little different, because instead of frying it in a vat of oil, these beauties are made in the air fryer. Dusted with a scant spritz of cooking spray, they are indulgent without being a heavy, oily mess.

Fried ravioli in the air fryer really couldn’t be easier since it’s made with store-bought ravioli. There are several vegan ravioli options on the market, but I used the only kind that’s available locally – Rising Moon Organics.

Rising Moon has 2 vegan flavors – butternut squash & spinach Florentine. (Make sure to read the ingredients, because they sell non-vegan ravioli too.) I’ve made this fried ravioli with both flavors, and they’re each tasty in their own way. The butternut squash is a little sweeter and more fall-like. The spinach Florentine has more of a classic ravioli taste. Kite Hill also makes vegan ravioli, and I’m sure that would work here too.Rising Moon ravioli is sold in the freezer section. If by some miracle you get a package with ravioli that aren’t stuck together, you can make these air fryer ravioli straight from frozen. However, scoring a package of ravioli that aren’t at least somewhat stuck together is a rarity. Luckily, there’s an easy fix. The day before you want to make fried ravioli, pop the package into the refrigerator to thaw. Once they are thawed, it isn’t difficult to carefully pull them apart. (If there’s a little bit of tearing, don’t worry about it. The panko bread crumbs will cover that area just fine.)

Surprisingly, the ravioli straight from the freezer and the thawed ones take the same amount of time to cook in the air fryer. I don’t know how the air fryer manages to cook the inside so perfectly whether it’s frozen or thawed, but I can only assume it’s some kind of sorcery.To make fried ravioli in the air fryer, start by dipping the ravioli into aquafaba.

Never heard of aquafaba?

Aquafaba is bean cooking liquid. It’s the viscous liquid you’ll find in a can of chickpeas, for example. If you make your own beans from scratch, the cooking liquid from homemade beans works equally well. Not only does aquafaba allow the bread crumbs to fully stick to the ravioli, they also help them to get toasty brown. (That’s why I use aquafaba to brush the top of vegetable pot pie.)

When I was testing this recipe, I tried a variety of flour & dipping options. An aquafaba dip with a coating of seasoned panko gave the most pleasing results. However, if you happen to not have aquafaba on hand, fret not. Instead, you can dip the ravioli into eggless mayo like Vegenaise (being careful to remove any excess mayo) and then into bread crumbs. Or you can dip them into non-dairy milk blended with a small spoonful of cornstarch, then seasoned bread crumbs.For this recipe, definitely seek out panko bread crumbs. Don’t just use ordinary bread crumbs, which won’t offer the same kind of crackling exterior. Panko gives the ravioli a firm crust.

The results of this fried ravioli are pretty spectacular. The spices in the breading give loads of flavor – basil, oregano, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. The combination of air fryer magic & the inherent crispiness of panko give the ravioli a wonderful crunch. It’s perfect for dipping into your choice of marinara.

This fried ravioli makes a wonderful appetizer for a party. Or you can smother it in sauce, and voilà, you have lunch or dinner.

Dip ravioli into aquafaba, shake off excess liquid, and then dredge in bread crumb mixture. Make sure that the ravioli gets fully covered. Move the ravioli into the air fryer basket. Continue until all of the ravioli has been breaded. Be careful not to overlap the ravioli too much in the air fryer, so that they can brown evenly. (If necessary, air fry in batches.)

Spritz the ravioli with cooking spray.

Set air fryer to 390 degrees. Air fry for 6 minutes. Carefully flip each ravioli over. (Don't just shake the basket. If you do, you'll lose a lot of bread crumbs.) Air fry for 2 more minutes.

Remove ravioli from air fryer and serve with warm marinara for dipping.

Cuisine: Italian |Recipe Type: Appetizer

Notes

*If you make beans from scratch, the cooking liquid from homemade beans works too! If you don't have access to aquafaba, vegan mayonnaise also works. Just be sure to wipe off any excess mayo. If it's too gloopy, it won't brown. Don't have that either? Use non-dairy milk mixed with a small spoonful of cornstarch.

**This recipe can be made with frozen or thawed ravioli. If your frozen ravioli are stuck together, allow them to thaw in the refrigerator. Then you should be able to carefully separate them.

***You will likely have leftover panko bread crumb mixture. You can save it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, and use it for future ravioli endeavors.

Apparently, fried ravioli was popularized in St. Louis, Missouri! I had no idea until I was working on this post. Iowa isn't too far from Missouri, and so fried ravioli is something I've always known about. I just figured it was a common thing! If you're a huge ravioli fan, you'll love it breaded and fried!

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[…] Vegan “Fried” Ravioli – instead of frying in a vat of oil, these beauties are made in an air fryer. Dusted with a scant spritz of cooking spray, they are perfectly crispy and indulgent without being a heavy, oily mess. From Cadry’s Kitchen […]